Dancing Around // peter parker

4

The bell rung above our heads. Our teacher looked up at the ceiling, her eyes widening. She rushed out the last sentence of the lesson, but only a few stayed behind and wrote it down. I was a part of those few. Everyone else already had their stuff ready as they slid out of their desk and hurried out of the classroom. I wasn't surprised to catch the boy who was making heart eyes at me leave, but a part of me felt giddy when he changed his mind last minute. Instead of his normal seat, he sat at the desk beside me as I finished out my notes.

"You know, everyone else already left, right?" He leaned against his seat, looking both lazy and dashing.

I kept my eyes on the board. Our teacher walked over to her desk, ruffling with a few papers. The remainder of the class that had stayed were starting to make their way out of the classroom as I began to pack my stuff. "You should have taken notes," I told him casually like this wasn't the first time we've talked. In a way, it was true. Our eyes have been talking for a month now.

He chuckled. "Guess you're going to have to let me borrow yours."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you think I'm cute." I got up from my desk with a grin, my notebook trying to catch its breath as I suffocate it against my chest. He followed me out of the classroom, walking next to me. People would greet him as we walked by. "Your name is Maria, right?"

I rolled my eyes. Such a lame tactic. I hated that it worked so well on me. "It's Marina."

"Right. Sorry."

I reached my locker. He leaned next to it, his eyes watching me as I twisted the lock until finally, it popped open. "Albert, was it?"

"Just Al, please," he winced. "Albert's so lame."

"I'll keep that in mind." He leaned toward me as I found a place for my math notes. I hoped he didn't try to peek into the three metal walls and see the mess.

"So, what do you say?"

"About what?"

"You lending me your notes."

"I don't let strangers borrow my notes."

He placed his hand on his chest. "Ow. You hurt me. We're not strangers. We're on a first-name basis."

I grabbed my wallet from the upper shelf, before closing my locker. The halls were growing quieter as the bell ticked closer. "I didn't know first name basis made us friends."

"More than friends, I would say."

My cheeks screamed warmth. "I have to get to lunch." I turned around, heading towards the cafeteria.

His sneakers were quick to catch up. "What a coincidence! I have lunch too."

"Do you really?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I could."

I giggled. I was completely falling for it. We reached the cafeteria entrance but stood near the doors. Students moved to get out of our way even though we were the ones blocking the entrance. "You should get to class. Don't want to be late," I said.

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"Which is exactly why you should hurry along."

He laughed. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You're a good girl."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That you follow the rules."

"Ah, you mean a decent student."

He chuckled. "There's a party tonight. You should come."

"Whose party?"

"A girl named Liz."

"I don't know Liz."

"I'll introduce you at the party."

I squinted my eyes at his joyful smile. "I'll think about it."

When I reached the table with my tray of food, Sally and Cindy had wide eyes. "What?" I took a seat across from them, my tray greeting the table as it rested on the surface.

"Why were you talking to Al?" Sally asked.

"You know Al?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulder. "We kind of had a thing last year. Nothing serious, though. How do you know him?"

I grabbed my milk, twisting the cap. "He's just some guy from my math class."

"Oh. And, uh, what did you guys talk about?" Sally asked.

I placed the bottle back down on the table. "He just invited me to a party. Some girl's named Liz," I said.

"He's going to Liz's party," Cindy said to Sally. Sally hunched her back, looking at her un-opened milk.

"You know Liz?" I asked.

Cindy tore her eyes away from Sally, before giving me an answer. This time it felt like she was actually talking to me. "Yeah, we're in the decathlon with her." That didn't last long though because she then turned to Sally again. For the first time since meeting them, I felt like the add-on to an already well-built machine that didn't need any unnecessary parts to function. Cindy placed her hand on Sally's shoulder. "We should go," she told Sally.

"Okay," I added nonchalantly to a conversation I was desperately trying to be a part of. Sally shook her head.

"Come on, Sally. It could be fun," Cindy tried, but Sally kept her gaze on her milk.

"Why not?" I asked Sally, but she didn't answer. So, I looked at Cindy and asked the same question again.

Cindy gave her a look before her brown eyes met my own. "Her parents don't let her go to parties."

"Just lie to them then. Say you're going to the library to study or something," I suggested.

"I don't want to. Why would I? Just so I can get firsthand experience on stupid kids making mistakes and doing dumb crap?" Sally asked dryly as she looked at me.

I looked at Cindy, asking her with my eyes what the right answer was here. Suddenly, I was placed on the hot seat without any warning or cause. Cindy, witnessing the catastrophe, gathered Sally's attention with a snap of her fingers.

"How about this," she started, ignoring the words Sally spoke before. "Tell your parents that you'll help us study. We'll even come over to make it convincing, and then we all head over to the party together," Cindy suggested. I nodded my head, agreeing with the plan.

Sally looked between the two of us. "Okay, fine, but I have a curfew. I have to be back home by ten and I still think parties are nothing more than a waste of time."

"Well, I guess then we'll waste our time together," Cindy joked. I laughed, taking a bite out of my sandwich.

Sally's hazel eyes looked at me once more and I knew immediately that they weren't going to be accompanied by anything from the heart. "Well, not Marina of course. She'll be with Al," she said.

I pushed my eyebrows together, looking at Cindy for help again. She only shook her head slightly. I laughed uncomfortably, afraid that if I addressed whatever she meant by that, it would ruin the only form of friendship I had made in weeks.